John McGinn reveals why he never joined Celtic: They even called my grandpa!

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Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

John McGinn has spoken out on his failed move to Celtic, explaining why he never joined the club he supported, despite heavy interest in him when he was with Hibs.

Celtic spent months pursuing a deal for McGinn in 2018, when he was playing with the Edinburgh club but failed to come to an agreement over his transfer fee.

Aston Villa, then of the Championship, stepped in to sign the Scotland international in a deal worth £2.75 million. He has become a cult hero at Villa Park, turning out for the Birmingham side on over 300 occasions, leading them to the Premier League with a play-off-winning goal before captaining them to 2026 Europa League glory.

Current ETV

John McGinn

M (CR)

A. Villa

John McGinn

M (CR)

A. Villa

€14.3M

ETV Range

€12.8M - €15.7M

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John McGinn on failed Celtic deal

His failed move to Celtic is, therefore, one of the Glasgow club’s great ‘what if…’ moments.

“I think the irony is, if he wasn't my grandpa and I wasn't a Celtic fan, I probably would be a Celtic player,” McGinn explained on The Overlap.

“I think they felt because I was a Celtic fan, it would just happen. And nobody else would come in and Hibs would crumble.

“But Hibs were amazing at the time. They said: ‘We're not going to stand in your way. We know you want to be a Celtic player. But they need to pay us what you're worth.’

“So I gave them my word that, alright, that's fine. You won't stand in my way. But I'll wait until they pay what I'm worth.

“And it never ever got there. What was the number? I can't remember exactly. I think it was two or three million at the time. And I think they bid a few times.

“They actually phoned my grandpa to try and influence me at the time. But he had a good relationship with both sides. He trusted me and my agent. And he said: ‘Listen, nothing to do with me. If you've got the money, pay the money and you’ll play for Celtic.’

“But I think that was just another tactic. And then it just went on and on. It actually went on for months. I met Brendan Rodgers. I was desperate to go to Celtic. Everyone at Hibs knew I was desperate to go.”